For a guy in another conference, DeLoss Dodds spends a lot of time talking about schools in the Southeastern Conference.  The Texas AD referenced a current SEC coach and a former SEC coach in an attempt to fend off critics of Longhorn football coach Mack Brown:

“I love stability.  I love continuity.  If you have stability, you have continuity and you’ve got good people.  It’s a formula that works.  I think we’ve got that.  If somebody tells me we need to change, I say, “Ok, but who should we hire?  (Nick) Saban?  Well, Saban isn’t going to come here.’ …

Mack does t so much better than everyone I’ve ever seen.  Instant gratification.  We want it right now.  And if it’s not working, we want to blow it up and get instant gratification.  In this kind of world, that’s not necessarily the answer.”

According to the reporter from The Daily Texan — the university’s student newspaper — Dodds also used the turmoil at Tennessee to defend his coach:

“Dodds pointed out that after Tennessee let go of Phillip Fulmer following several mediocre seasons, the Volunteers didn’t recover.  They went 23-37 in the last four years under Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley, who was fired last November.  Dodds doesn’t want that to happen to Texas.”

With regards to Saban, Brown is right… he won’t leave Tuscaloosa for Austin.  It’s not easy for even the biggest schools to snag proven, big-name coaches from big-time programs.  Florida’s last three head coaching hires have been two assistants and a guy from Utah.  Oklahoma’s last hire was an assistant.  Ohio State hired a man out of retirement to follow a man it hired from the FCS level.

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Former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley has been officially named receivers coach for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys
Dooley’s new job will not impact his $5 million buyout from Tennessee
Ex-Mississippi State WR Chad Bumphis has angered some Ole Miss fans via Twitter by telling prospects “DON’T go with the money!”
Ole Miss stands to finish with a top 10 recruiting class leading to rumors of rule-breaking
Reports out of New Orleans say Georgia defensive defensive corodinator Todd Grantham will interview for the same position with the Saints
In SEC hoops action Tuesday night, Arkansas beat Florida 80-69 and Kentucky beat South Carolina 77-55
Tennessee’s Kenny Hall will not be suspended after getting arrested for driving on a suspended driver’s license
Follow SEC football, basketball, and recruiting at twitter.com/mrsec
Follow all 14 SEC schools tomorrow on National Signing Day at MrSEC.com

Coaching News & Rumors

1. Butch Jones and Derek Dooley will cost Tennessee about $17 million through 2017.

2. In less than a week, Jones turned down Purdue, rejected Colorado and accepted the Tennessee offer.

3. “If you didn’t know better, you’d think Jones had hired Crash Davis to prep him for his introductory press conference.”

4. The hiring of Butch Jones at Tennessee fuels speculation about the future of offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and possible interest by Missouri.

5. Wherever Auburn assistant coach Trooper Taylor winds up, a highly-regarded recruit may follow.

6. Salaries for Auburn coordinators – Ellis Johnson will make $800,000, Rhett Lashlee will make $350,000.

7. Nick Saban’s wife Terry on their relationship with defensive coordinator Kirby Smart: ”He’s like a baby to us, like a son. We’ve had similar relationships with Will Muschamp, Jimbo Fisher, Derek Dooley, Todd Grantham.”

8. Dan Mullen is now the fifth-longest tenured coach in the SEC.“Pretty sweet isn’t it? How about that, I’m only 40.”

9. Bobby Hebert on Les Miles:  “I’ve never seen a coach with that much success and not have a lot of fan base not being on board.”

10. Barry Alverez is stepping into the void left at Wisconsin when Bret Bielema left for Arkansas and will collect about $217,000 for his efforts. “”I’m not doing it for free,”

11. Willie Taggart is leaving Western Kentucky – he’s the new coach at South Florida.

12. Bobby Petrino gaining momentum at Arkansas State?

***Update*** Tommy Tuberville to Cincinnati?

Honors/Awards

13. Doug Flutie on Johnny Manziel: “I love watching him. He reminds me of myself.”

14. More than 20 cease-and-desist letters and more than 1,900 items available on eBay.  With the Heisman Trophy ceremonies tonight, the business of Johnny Football is booming.

15. Johnny Manziel on getting to know Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o: “I thought he might stuff me in a locker and beat up on me a little bit,”

16. What’s a Heisman worth?  Robert Griffin III winning it last year gave Baylor an estimated $250 million boost.

17. How quickly things can change.  Halfway through the season, West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith was a Heisman favorite.

 SEC/College News

18. Mark Richt on his bowl game opponent: “I grew up a Nebraska fan.”

19. Even though LSU went 10-2, the 2012 season was a rebuilding one, thanks to injuries and suspensions. 38 starts by freshmen this year.

20. Three Mississippi State players, offensive guard Gabe Jackson, running back LaDarius Perkins and safety Nickoe Whitley have filed paperwork to the NFL board.

21. John Adams: “UT might be a top-20 program based on its tradition, facilities and fan base. But it’s not a top-20 program today.”

22. An impressive freshman season for Alabama cornerback Geno Smith.

23. Photographs at the heart of a lawsuit filed against the University of Kentucky.

24. Where will the first championship game of college football’s playoff era be held?  Looking like Dallas.

25. ESPN’s 30 for 30 film “You Don’t Know Bo” is “inspirational and uplifting.”

SEC Basketball

26. South Carolina 91 – Jacksonville 74. Four players reach double-figures for the 6-3 Gamecocks.

27. Coach Frank Martin on Bruce Ellington: “He doesn’t like losing.”

28. Ole Miss at Middle Tennessee State.  Undefeated Rebels go on the road for the first time this year.

29. Forward Jason Carter dismissed from Rebels team.

30. LSU point guard Anthony Hickey suspended indefinitely.

31. Could “Camp Cal” be the spark that Kentucky needs? John Calipari: “I’ve gone back to more roughhouse practices, which I normally don’t like to do.”

32. Tennessee State at Missouri.  Guard Keion Bell is playing better coming off the bench.

Extra

33. Professional leagues and the NCAA are trying to prevent sports gambling in New Jersey.

34. The musket is no prop.  West Virginia Mountaineer mascot kills a black bear and WVU officials aren’t happy about it.

As we reported last night, the University of Tennessee offered its vacant head coaching job to Cincinnati’s Butch Jones.  Today, that offer is coming to fruition. Tennessee has made it official – Butch Jones is the new Vols head coach.  He will be introduced at a 2:30 E.T. news conference.  In three seasons at Cincinnati, he was twice named Big East Coach of the Year.

GoVolsXtra has posted a timeline of the coaching search. From the firing of Derek Dooley to the hiring of Butch Jones, the process took 19 days.

Georgia Tech at Georgia

1. For the Bulldogs, this one has national implications.

2. Georgia Tech running back David Sims: “‘How good would it feel to upset Georgia’s national championship hopes and go to the ACC championship a week later?’

3. A win today by Georgia would be the eighth 11-win season in Bulldogs history – the fourth under Mark Richt.

Kentucky at Tennessee

4. A battle of the struggling squads - Kentucky’s offense vs. Tennessee’s defense.

5. Last year’s loss at Kentucky? The beginning of the end for Derek Dooley.

6. How long did that victory celebration last for Kentucky?  Linebacker Bud Dupree: “It really didn’t end until this season began.”

Auburn at Alabama

7. Auburn’s season ends today no matter what – Alabama wants to play Georgia next week in the SEC championship game.

8. Auburn tries to block out the chatter of being a huge underdog: “You just forget about what the naysayers say.”

9. Many Auburn fans are more focused on Gene Chizik’s future than the Iron Bowl.

Florida at Florida State

10. For the Gators, a focus on their in-state rival with a Saturday night game in California in the background.

11. Florida’s offense holding something back or is that just wishful thinking?

12. A victory today means the Gators automatically qualify for a BCS bowl and they snap a two-game winning by Florida State in this rivalry game.

Vanderbilt at Wake Forest

13. Is James Franklin the SEC coach of the year?

14. Challenge for Vanderbilt – can the Commodores focus after an emotional victory over Tennessee?

15. Vanderbilt locker room after the Tennessee game – starts around the 7:30 mark.

Missouri at Texas A&M

16. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel gets 75 mentions on ESPN’s Sportscenter in a week. New York Times profile’s Manziel’s family.  Johnny’s grandfather claims cockfighting world championship in 1983.

17. Did the switch from the Big 12 cost the Aggies a shot at a national title?

18. Underdog Missouri can become bowl eligible by winning for the third straight year on Kyle Field. “It’s still burning; the fire’s still there,”

Mississippi State at Ole Miss

19. Win or lose, a trip to the Gator Bowl appears more likely than the Chik-Fil-A Bowl for Mississippi State.

20. Victory for Ole Miss means bowl eligibility and snapping an Egg Bowl losing streak.

21. Egg Bowl headed back to Thanksgiving?

South Carolina at Clemson

22. To win, South Carolina knows its offense has to be productive.

23. Steve Spurrier on the Clemson rivalry: “I think they overdid it prior to coming here.”

24. Only the second time ever with both teams in the top 15 – and more than bragging rights are at stake.

Tennessee has made it official - Derek Dooley will not return as coach of the Volunteers.  Athletics Director Dave Hart will address the media at 2:00 p.m. ET.  Dooley will not coach the Vols in the season finale against Kentucky. Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will serve as interim coach Saturday.

It was hardly a ringing endorsement of his recent play, but Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has admitted to improvements quarterback Tyler Bray’s game the past two weeks.  In that span, the junior has thrown nine touchdown passes and just one interception.

Chaney’s take:

“I feel like he has played with a measured amount of discipline.  There’s always two or three plays in the last couple of weeks that we would have liked to have back.  But it’s better than six or seven.  I feel like he’s playing with more discipline or calm in the last few weeks.”

Prior to Tennessee’s game against South Carolina two weekends ago, head coach Derek Dooley threatened to pull Bray if he was “loose” with the football.  Since then his signal-caller has responded.

In his first seven games this season, here’s how Bray performed:

244 attempts, 144 completions, 59.0% completions, 1,914 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions

And here’s how he’s done against Carolina and Troy since being called out publicly:

90 attempts, 56 completions, 62.2% completions, 898 yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception.

Bray and the Vols face Missouri on Saturday.

When in doubt, quote Bruce Hornsby.  Sixty percent of the time, it works every time.  (Hat tip to those who got that line.)

During his Monday meeting with the Knoxville press, Derek Dooley said that he was about to get more involved with UT’s woeful defense and that embattled defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri might move to the press box:

“I’m coming out of the offensive room and putting all my attention on defense…

(Regarding criticism of Sunseri) Like Bruce Hornsby and the Range, that’s just the way it is.”

The Volunteers gave up 721 yards of total offense to Troy in a 55-48 last-minute win on Saturday.

And now a little flashback to January 10th, 1987, when Bruce and his Range were ruling over the Billboard charts at #1.

The SEC will not suspend LSU S Eric Reid for a late hit on Texas A&M WR Mike Evans last Saturday
Report: If Tennessee buys out Derek Dooley and staff it could cost between $5.6 and $9.3 million over four years
An industry source tells MrSEC.com that new SEC TV contracts will be worth an additional $10-$15 million per school per year when completed
Auburn has not named a starting quarterback for Saturday’s game with Texas A&M yet
South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier says QB Connor Shaw will not come out against Tennessee this weekend unless he gets hurt
LSU AD Joe Alleva says he’ll try again next year to eliminate permanent cross-divisional football opponents from SEC schedule next year
Keep up with news from around the SEC everyday on MrSEC.com!

Knoxville News-Sentinel says buyout of Derek Dooley and staff would cost at least $5.6 million and as much as $9.3 million over the next four years
Georgia S Shawn Williams called out a number of his defense teammates saying that the whole unit is playing “soft”
Teammate Michael Gilliard not happy: “I feel like when another man calls me soft, it’s disrespecting my manhood.”
Georgia LB Jarvis Jones has a “good chance” of being healthy enough to play against Florida on Saturday
Missouri QB James Franklin is doubtful for Saturday’s game with Kentucky
Mississippi State is #12 in the BCS but their schedule is ranked #124 and their three SEC wins have come against teams with a combined 0-14 SEC record
Keep up with all your SEC news at MrSEC.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/mrsec